Israel kills mayor in Lebanon, attacks UN mission again

(CLO) The mayor of the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh was among 16 people killed when an Israeli airstrike destroyed the city's administrative headquarters. Israel is also accused of continuing to attack the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.

Lebanese government agencies have also been attacked.

This is considered the largest attack on a Lebanese state government building since the Israeli air campaign began.

Lebanese officials have condemned the incident, which also left more than 50 people injured in the provincial capital, saying it was evidence that Israel's campaign against the militant group Hezbollah was now shifting to targeting the Lebanese state.

Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes on Dahiyeh in Beirut's southern suburbs on October 16, 2024. Photo: AP

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the Israelis "deliberately attacked a city council meeting to discuss the city's services and relief situation" to assist residents displaced by the Israeli offensive.

Israel issued an evacuation notice for Nabatieh, a city of tens of thousands of people, on October 3. At the time, the city's mayor Ahmed Kahil said he would not leave.

Israel is also making matters worse by continuing to attack UN facilities. The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said it observed an Israeli tank firing at its watchtower near Kfar Kela in southern Lebanon on Wednesday morning. Two cameras were destroyed and the watchtower was damaged, UNIFIL said.

Israel has previously asked the United Nations to move members of the UNIFIL peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon out of the war zone. UNIFIL says its troops have been attacked by Israel several times, although Israel denies this.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) continues to be targeted by Israel. Photo: Reuters

Israel determined not to stop attacking

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, during a visit to Israel's northern border, said Israel would not stop its attack on Hezbollah to negotiate.

"We will negotiate even if there is fire. I said this on day one, I said this in Gaza and I am saying this here," he said according to a statement from his office.

According to the US Department of Defense , Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin spoke with his counterpart Gallant on Wednesday and "stressed the importance of taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of UNIFIL and Lebanese Armed Forces."

On Wednesday, Israel said it also struck dozens of Hezbollah targets in the Nabatieh area and its navy also struck dozens of targets in southern Lebanon.

They said they had “dismantled” a network of tunnels used by Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in the centre of a town near the border with Israel, and released a video showing multiple explosions shaking a cluster of buildings. Lebanese officials said it was the small town of Mhaibib.

Israeli warplanes also returned to attack southern Beirut on Wednesday, killing 22 people and destroying entire buildings in a densely populated residential area.

According to the Health Ministry, Israeli operations in Lebanon have killed at least 2,350 people in the past year and displaced more than 1.2 million. The United Nations says a quarter of the country is under evacuation orders. According to Israel, about 50 Israelis, including soldiers and civilians, have been killed in the same period.

Bui Huy (according to Reuters, AJ)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/israel-giet-chet-thi-truong-o-lebanon-lai-tan-cong-phai-bo-lien-hop-quoc-post317207.html